If a rear spoiler is for reducing high-speed rear lift then the one at the rear of the Mazdaspeed6 is not only attractive, but also effective. Its
effectiveness is, of course, also resultant of the other aforementioned aero add-ons, the overall effect being that of a slippery super-sedan, fast enough to send shivers up and down the spine during acceleration but sophisticated enough so that driver and passengers aren't shaken, stirred and then sent into shock, by the lack of sufficient damping of the latter.
No, while quick off the mark this hypo-6 isn't overly harsh to its occupants. I spent an entire week tooling around town, out and about some enjoyable rural roads and, lest I forget, jaunting up and down my local ski mountain for a little high-speed action. Never once were my feathers ruffled, so to speak, and the tuned-6 is every bit as well put together as the naturally aspirated 6 in top-line trim.
Speaking of 6, the short-throw 6-speed manual delivers quick action, plus a high-quality feel. The same can be said of the clutch, nicely weighted and ideally placed between the dead and brake pedals so that it doesn't take a great distance traveled by the left leg to use the former for pressing oneself into the seatback during tight turns, and then get back
onto the clutch for a quick shift before left-foot braking prior to another sharp corner. The right side pedals are also well positioned for heel-toe braking, when this method is called upon.
And I have to say that I chose to play such games in the Mazdaspeed6, when I couldn't be bothered in most manually-actuated sedans. The direct-injection turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-litre four-cylinder is a real joy to rev up, but if you're looking for a family-sized Honda S2000 replacement the engine isn't quite as sophisticated. While low-end grunt is significant, it taps out well before its 6,700 rpm redline, preferring to be shifted about 6,000 or even sooner. Its 280 lb-ft of maximum torque plateaus at just after 2,500 rpm only dropping off slightly once past 4,000, but there's 250 lb-ft on hand at 2,000 rpm and almost 200 at 1,500, so I didn't experience any lack of enthusiasm from the throttle at low revs. Its tendency to peter out up in the high revs was a bit disappointing, however, something I believe a variable valve timing system could improve upon, but no such system is included in Mazda's 2.3.
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| The decklid spoiler has been designed to reduce high-speed rear lift. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
No, while quick off the mark this hypo-6 isn't overly harsh to its occupants. I spent an entire week tooling around town, out and about some enjoyable rural roads and, lest I forget, jaunting up and down my local ski mountain for a little high-speed action. Never once were my feathers ruffled, so to speak, and the tuned-6 is every bit as well put together as the naturally aspirated 6 in top-line trim.
Speaking of 6, the short-throw 6-speed manual delivers quick action, plus a high-quality feel. The same can be said of the clutch, nicely weighted and ideally placed between the dead and brake pedals so that it doesn't take a great distance traveled by the left leg to use the former for pressing oneself into the seatback during tight turns, and then get back
 |
| The direct-injection turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-litre four-cylinder is a real joy to rev. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
And I have to say that I chose to play such games in the Mazdaspeed6, when I couldn't be bothered in most manually-actuated sedans. The direct-injection turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-litre four-cylinder is a real joy to rev up, but if you're looking for a family-sized Honda S2000 replacement the engine isn't quite as sophisticated. While low-end grunt is significant, it taps out well before its 6,700 rpm redline, preferring to be shifted about 6,000 or even sooner. Its 280 lb-ft of maximum torque plateaus at just after 2,500 rpm only dropping off slightly once past 4,000, but there's 250 lb-ft on hand at 2,000 rpm and almost 200 at 1,500, so I didn't experience any lack of enthusiasm from the throttle at low revs. Its tendency to peter out up in the high revs was a bit disappointing, however, something I believe a variable valve timing system could improve upon, but no such system is included in Mazda's 2.3.